Socialist Democratic Party
Red |Seats1 Title = Senate |Seats1 = suspended |Seats2 Title = CSN |Seats2 = |Seats3 Title = Communal government |Seats3 = suspended |politics = Politics of Istalia |political parties = Political parties in Istalia |elections = Elections in Istalia |party_logo = }} The Socialist Democratic Party (PDS) was a nationalist and Battistian political party in Istalia. The party was formed in 4010 by Salvatore Azzopardi, mayor of Romula from 4004 to 4012. While the party described itself as social-democratic, it was frequently branded by scholars as nationalist and authoritarian, with welfarist traits. Upon foundation, the party immediately attracted members from the now-defunct Istalian Communist Party. The PDS overtook the latter in the 4013 election, and won its first 86 deputies in the Parliament of Istalia. Azzopardi subsequently became premier. Between 4015 and 4032, the Socialist Democratic Party continuously headed the national government, often with support from smaller parties. Between 4028 and 4045, the party was led by Antonio Battisti, who served as Prime Minister in 4028, President of Istalia from 4028 to 4042, and dictator from 4042 to 4045. For its role in supporting Battisti's overthrow of democracy, and in the subsequent Istalian Civil War, the PDS was banned on 1 August 4045. The party's legal successor is the Party of the Istalian Revolution. History Formation and breakthrough The Socialist Democratic Party traces its roots to the center-left Social Democratic Alliance (ASD), a group of ex-Communists established on 8 January 4010. The ASD was originally led by Salvatore Azzopardi for the first 13 years of its existence. The first electoral test for the party was the 4013 general election, where it fielded 120 candidates for the Chamber of Deputies. While most pre-election polls had put the party on less than 10% support, it ultimately garnered 20%, with 86 of its candidates winning seats. Azzopardi, who was the ASD candidate for President of Istalia won 22%. After serving as the main opposition party for two years, ASD formed a coalition government with the Istalian Communist Party (PCI), with Azzopardi as Prime Minister of Istalia, which lasted until 4017. In elections that year, the party doubled its vote share to 40%, and secured 165 deputies, allowing Azzopardi’s coalition to continue in office as a minority government, without the Communists. From 4021 to 4023, they co-operated with the Alliance of the Democratic Centre. In 4023, Azzopardi stepped down as both party leader and premier after having won that year’s presidential election. Silvio Amato took over both of his positions, and held them until 4028. Battisti period , prime minister in 4028, president 4028–4042, Capo Supremo 4042–4045.]] At the 4028 party congress, Antonio Battisti (defense minister 4017–4023 under Azzopardi) toppled the party leadership, including Amato. Battisti seized the leadership position for himself, after securing support from 52% of party delegates. The event caused nine of the party’s 13 cabinet ministers to resign over the next two weeks. Battisti’s proposed motion at the party congress pushed it in a more nationalist and populist direction, and involved the party rebranding itself as the Socialist Democratic Party (PDS). After this so-called internal coup, he assumed the Istalian premiership, and announced his intention to seek a fresh popular mandate by calling early elections for 4028, and running for president. In the February presidential election, Battisti scored 56% of the vote, defeating the Centrist candidate by a margin of 12 points. He subsequently went on to nominate Vittorio Albertini (foreign minister 4023–4028) as the new Prime Minister of Istalia. Four years later, the PDS lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 9 years; some analysts have credited this defeat to Battisti's increasingly controversial and polarizing image during his presidency. Despite this, Battisti himself secured a landslide victory in the 4032 presidential race, with close to 43 million votes, or 84% of the total cast. After four years in opposition, the PDS returned to government as the junior partner in a coalition with the Istalian Socioliberal Party in 4036. Battisti regime and Istalian Civil War In the aftermath of the 4039 Merchant Massacre, Battisti was granted emergency powers by the Istalian legislature, after a a referendum showed that 94% of voters would support such a move, along with the passage of the Emergency Powers Enabling Act. He was elected unopposed for a fourth consecutive term as president in 4040; with support from all rival groups, Battisti took nearly 100% of the vote. A national unity government consisting of all the parties in Parliament was subsequently formed. However, tensions within the unity government grew in the early 4040s, to the point where Battisti and Prime Minister Alessandro Senna would publicly quarrel. The final articles of the Enabling Act were passed in early 4042, with a significant minority in Parliament abstaining in protest. A terrorist attack, carried out by the extremist Istalian People's Brigades on the Palace of Parliament, led Battisti to dissolve the legislative branch altogether in May 4042, to vocal opposition from his coalition partners, who ultimately pulled out of the unity government the following week. Battisti later established the National Security Council (CSN), a 90-member technocratic body, for which elections were held in 4044. While no parties were officially allowed to participate in this election, every single CSN deputy held membership in the Socialist Democratic Party or its associates. By February 4043, the judicial branch had been forced to cede its powers to the National Security Council, and the local governments were dismissed, effectively leaving Battisti with dictatorial powers, according to analysts and historians. In response to the president's self-coup and the dissolution of Parliament, mass protests erupted in 4044, spearheaded by the opposition parties. The Battisti government responded with violence, which in turn triggered the Istalian Civil War of 4044–4045. Post-Civil War and dissolution The Battle of Romula (8–17 June 4045) led to the capture and arrest of Antonio Battisti by opposition forces. Battisti's defeat triggered the surrender of the pro-government Istalian Armed Forces at the hands of the rebels, the end of the Istalian Civil War, and the ultimate demolition of Battisti's regime. On 2 July 4045, a military court ordered the closure of the Socialist Democratic Party for its role in supporting Battisti. The ban of the party entered into effect on 1 August that year, with all its assets being placed under government ownership; later, the Party of the Istalian Revolution (PRI) appealed a series of rulings made by the court, and was granted some of its assets, as well as the status of "legal successor" of the former PDS. Vittorio Albertini, Prime Minister of Istalia 4028–4032, became the new PRI party's first leader. Election results Presidential elections Legislative elections | | valign="top" | | |} Local elections Prominent members Party leaders *Salvatore Azzopardi (4010–4023) *Silvio Amato (4023–4028) *Antonio Battisti (4028–4045) Prime Ministers of Istalia *Salvatore Azzopardi (4015–4023) *Silvio Amato (4023–4028) *Antonio Battisti (4028) *Vittorio Albertini (4028–4032) Presidents of Istalia *Salvatore Azzopardi (4023–4028) *Antonio Battisti (4028–4042; as Capo Supremo 4042–4045) Category:Political parties in Istalia Category:Istalia Category:Politics of Istalia